Draft signing deadline passes, but Astros still have work to do

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SAN FRANCISCO – The Astros did not sign any more draft picks before the deadline of 4 p.m. today, making offers to some top high school picks but having them decline in favor of college.

Seventh-round pick Preston Tucker remains unsigned, but as a college senior he is subject to a much later deadline than everyone else, a week before the 2013 draft.

“We’re in the process of working on Tucker, so hopefully we’ll get it done sooner than later,” assistant general manager of scouting Bobby Heck said.

Heck said that the team spent Friday making offers up to the point of forfeiting a future pick, as anything beyond $100,000 paid to a post-10th-round pick counted against the bonus pool. The Astros have for a while been willing to pay a tax by going over the bonus pool and were able to offer more than $400,000 without forfeiting a pick.

But Hunter Virant (11th-round pitcher reportedly looking for first-round money) will go to UCLA and C.J. Hinojosa of Klein Collins (26th round) is Texas-bound, among others.

Most interesting on the national front was the Pirates’ inability to reach a deal with Stanford righthander Mark Appel, who will return to the Cardinal. The Houston-born Appel was a top talent in this year’s draft and could be again next year when the Astros are likely to pick high again.